Blaze a farm trail through the mountains

Farms across Western North Carolina will welcome the public to traipse through their fields, barns and greenhouses during the annual Farm Tour put on by Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project Sept. 22-23.

The self-guided tour offers a chance for locals and visitors alike to learn how food grows, taste farm-fresh products, interact with farm animals, and meet the community’s food producers.

There are a whopping 35 farms on the tour in several counties. Along with the standard small vegetable farmers, there are several specialty farms, including apple orchards, vineyards, blueberry farms, organic meat, bee farms and herb gardens including Sunburst Trout in Haywood County.

ASAP plans to launch a new local food app, entitled Appalachian Grown and modeled after their Local Food Guide, just before the big event. The app will connect folks with area farms and businesses that support local food.